As a result of the declining capacity in government hospitals, healthcare professionals under the aegis of the Nigeria Union of Allied Health Professionals (NUAHP), have called on the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH), and labour to perform staff audit in hospitals with the aim of employing more professionals into the sector.

The union members, who gave the advice after NUAHP National Administrative Council and National Executive Council (NAC/NEC) meeting at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital (UATH), Abuja, stated that various factors have contributed over the years to the declining number of their members in various hospitals.

They argued that the declining number of health professionals in various hospitals across the nation due to retirement, resignation, and death, was a great concern to the union.

“We are urging the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) to do a total staff audit and put up machinery in place to employ other health care professionals for better and efficient service delivery across the nation.”

A statement by its President, Dr. Obinna Ogbonna, said the union is also dismayed by the attitude and actions of the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF), for not accepting the recommendations of the tripartite committee report submitted to the Federal Government on the issue of new minimum wage.

The body, therefore, appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to transmit a bill to the National Assembly, to fast-track the implementation of the new National Minimum Wage to avoid national industrial crisis.

The union also condemned the implementation of the “No work, No Pay” policy by the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH), even as its members “demand that all withheld salaries of members in various federal health institutions be paid forthwith to avoid disharmony and industrial crisis in the health sector.”

The statement also demanded that medical practitioners should occupy the two offices of the minister of health only, “one should be occupied by a member of allied health professionals, to create balancing and full participation of major stakeholder in policy foundations in the health sector.”